Klobasnek
Klobasnek Say it: kloh-BAHS-nek
A klobasnek is a soft, slightly sweet yeast roll wrapped around a smoked sausage — the savory sibling of the Czech-Texan kolache. Czech families settled across central Texas in the late 1800s, and bakers there began folding sausage, cheese and sometimes jalapeño into their kolache dough. It is eaten for breakfast or as a handheld snack, warm from the oven, when the bread is pillowy and the sausage juicy. The contrast of tender enriched dough and smoky, peppery meat is what makes it so loved.
Klobasnek
Klobasnek
Pronounced kloh-BAHS-nek
- Serves
- 4
- Prep
- 35 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Total
- 55 min
- Level
- Medium
Also nut-free.
Allergens: contains gluten, milk, egg. Check labels on packaged ingredients.
Ingredients
Amounts are scaled. Cooking times and pan sizes stay the same.
Dough
Filling and finish
Method
Stir the yeast and 1 teaspoon of the sugar into the warm water and let stand 5–10 minutes until foamy on top.
Warm the milk with the butter in a small saucepan until the butter melts, then pull it off the heat and let it cool to lukewarm. Whisk in the remaining sugar, the egg and the salt.
Pour the milk mixture into the yeast, then add the flour a cup at a time, stirring until a shaggy dough forms.
Knead on a floured counter for 6–8 minutes, until the dough is smooth, elastic and only slightly tacky, adding flour a spoonful at a time if it sticks.
Set the dough in a buttered bowl, turn it once to coat, cover and let rise in a warm spot for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until doubled and springy when poked.
Punch the dough down and cut it into 8 equal pieces (about 3 oz / 85 g each). Cover and rest 10 minutes, then pat each piece into a 4 x 6 in (10 x 15 cm) oval.
Lay a cheese stick and a few jalapeño slices on each oval, set a sausage on top, and roll the dough snugly around it. Pinch the seam and both ends closed.
Place the rolls seam side down on a parchment-lined baking sheet, 2 in (5 cm) apart. Cover loosely and let rise 30–45 minutes, until puffy and the dough springs back slowly.
Heat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Brush the rolls with egg wash and bake 18–22 minutes, until deep golden brown and the sausage reads 190°F (88°C) in the center.
Brush the hot rolls with melted butter and cool on the pan for 10 minutes before eating.
Regional variants
Many Texas bakeries add a slice of American cheese and pickled jalapeño, or wrap the dough around a whole hot dog for a larger version. The same dough, filled with fruit or sweet cheese instead of sausage, makes the sweet kolache.
Cook's notes
- Pinch the seam and ends firmly — any gap lets the cheese leak out and burn on the pan.
- Let the rolls rise only until puffy; overproofed dough slumps and splits in the oven.
- The dough can be mixed and refrigerated overnight after the first rise; let it come to room temperature before shaping.
Serve with
Serve warm with mustard or hot sauce on the side, and strong coffee or a cold Shiner beer.
Make ahead and storage
Bake, cool completely and refrigerate up to 2 days or freeze up to 1 month; reheat at 350°F (175°C) for 8–10 minutes, covered in foil.
